Snap-in hinge for box covers



I. July 3, 1951 J. ICOYLE ET AL SNAP-IN HINGE FOR BOX COVERS Filed Oct. 7, 1946 v Zhwentors JOHN 0on5. AND WILLIAM F Pu/vrE I attornegs.

Patented July 3, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SNAP-IN HINGE FOR BOX OVE S John (Doyle and William F. Punte, Baltimore, Md., assignors to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y.,.a;.corporation of New .York

Application October .7, 19 l,6,. Se11ialjNo. 711L814 Claims. 1

Small metal boxes with hinged covers are widely used in the packaging of diverseproducts, such as headache and digestive tablets, candy bars, cigars, cigarettes, first-aid bandages and the like. Such boxes preferably have the covers'hinged at the rear and have a dimpled snap fastening in front.

However, after such boxes and covers have been assembled, the packaging or filling is slow and inconvenient as thecovers must be held open and out of the way. Furthermore, provision of a satisfactory hinge has been deemed to require the use of inserted hinge pins or other cooperating features whichadd considerably to the cost of the article. At the same time, such hinged fastenings generally necessitate =openings in the rear of the box which'weaken-thelatter and also prevent a tight closure.

It is an object of our invention to provide 'a hinge which will permit assembly of the cover after the box proper has been filled with the articles such as tablets, cigars, cigarettes, bandages or the like. l

It is a further object of our invention to provide a hinged assemblywhich will. insure thatthe rear wall of the box has the full,-normal height, and, in fact, may be double thickness so that it is given added strength and the. closure is tighter.

.It is also an object of our invention toprevent the inadvertent or accidental separation of the coverfrom the box, and to establish a definite maximum open position for the :cover.

\ Further objects of our-invention will be evident from the following description of the preferred form of our invention as illustrated ,on the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section of a tablet box having our improved snap-in hinge for the cover;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with the cover separate and arranged to be snapped into position during assembly either before or after the box has been filled;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the box showing the rear wall and reinforcing hinged portion;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged, vertical section showing the hinge of the cover inserted and Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the relation of the hinged parts when the cover is fully opened.

A box which may be constructed according to our invention is illustrated in the drawings at 6 and includes a front wall I having a protuberance 8 for a snap fastening.

The rear wall 9 of the box has a reversely turned fold II). This fold extends for the greater 2 length of the rearwall as shown in Fig. 3. It forms a rigid reinforcement for the rear wall. Further, this construction provides for a rear wall which is of the same height as the rest of the box Y walls andfree from any apertures.

The lower free end of the fold 40 is given --an outward circular curl I l. The openedge 1 2 of the curl H is-spaced from the'fold ll] proper and provides a narrow gap.

The customary cover I3 has depending flanges which form'side, front-and rearwalls. The depending front wall -l 4 has a -dim-p1eor depression 15 which "cooperates with the protuberance -:8 of the front wall 1 of the box in the usual snap fastening arrangement.

'The rear depending rim or .wall I6 of the :top orcover has anangular flange I Lcoextensive with the curl I-l. This flange I1 extends outwardlyand upwardly 'at anacute-angleto the rear wall 15. A V -shaped-opening isthus provided between .the wall I6 and theflange 4 1.

By reference-to 'Fig. Lit will be -noted-that the combined width of the two thicknesses of metal H5 and H and the intervening space'exceeds that of the width of the gap at the edge I2. It-will also be apparent that .-.the=width of the flange measured vertically in FigA is considerably in excess of the width of this :gap.

Due to the proportions of the flange :and gap above outlined, the cover-may he slipped into place overthe' rim of the' box. -Thecurl -l I rides up the flange ll which latter, by reason of :its resiliency, yields toward the wall It. As-ther-cover fits do-wn=in place, the-flange l-l springs out beneath the edge 12, and thus prevents the cover from being lifted :in a vertical direction.

However, when the snap fastening in front is separated, the cover may rotate around flange I! as a movable pivot. As the flange I1 is wider than the gap, the flange engages beneath the edge [2 of the curl II as shown in Fig. 5, preventing further upward movement and removal of the flange l1.

At the same time, the edge I2 is received within the space between the rim l6 and flange IT. The rim l6 thereupon rests upon the curl II and the cover cannot be opened beyond the approximate position indicated in Fig. 5, without distorting the curl ll. However, the cover may be restored to closed position without material effort. It may thus be said that the hinged flange I1 is loosely detained within the curl H which latter forms a stop against the removal of the cover or its opening beyond the desired position.

One of the main advantages of this improved ually or mechanically, a cover is fitted over the. 1

box also either manually or mechanically. The final operation is to engage the cover withthe snap fitting in front and the hinge assembled in the rear. l

The cover is thus a tight closure over the hinged portion. The cover may be opened to the desired extent without risk of its becoming disconnected.

This arrangement forms a satisfactory con tainer which is both rigid and durable and has added utility in permitting packaging of the material before the cover is assembled on the box. While the preferred form of the invention has been illustrated and described, many changes in minor proportions and details of structure and material may be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention as set out in the appended claims. I

What we'claim is:

,1. In combination, a box having a rear wall,

the sheet'material of said wall having a portion folded back against the wall and then curled outwardly therefromrto provide a hollow resilient curl with an edge separated from the folded portion of the wall by a narrow gap, and a cover with a depending rim having means for attachmentcomprising a flat rear flange extending upwardly from the edge of the rim and outwardly at an acute angle a greater distance than the gap but insertable therethrough. :2. In combination, a box having a rear wall, the sheetimaterial of said wall having a portion foldediback against the wall and then curled outwardly-therefrom to provide a hollow resilient curl with an edge separated from the folded portion of the wall by a narrow gap, and a cover with a depending rim having means for attachment comprising a fiat rear flange wider than said gap and extending upwardly from the edge of the rim and outwardly at an acute angle a greater distance than the gap but insertable therethrough.

3. In combination, a box having a rear wall, thesheet material of .said wall having a portion folded back againstthe wall and then curled outwardly therefrom to provide a hollow resilient curl with an edge separated from the folded portion of the wall by a narrow gap, and a cover having means for attachment comprising a depending rim and a flat rear flange extending upwardly from the rim and outwardly at an acute angle from the rim for a greater distance than the gap in the fold but insertable therethrough, said edge-of the curl being received in the V- shaped opening between the flange and the rim in the open position of the cover.

4. In combination, a box having a rear body wall, the top portion of said rear wall being bent outwardly and downwardly upon itself, the extremity of said portion being bent outwardly and upwardly into'a curl to provide a narrow gap between the edges of the curl and the rear wall, and a cover having depending walls, the lower portion of the rear cover wall being bent upwardly to provide a flat flange extending outwardly a greater distance than said gap in the body curl but insertable therethrough. 5. In combination, a box ofsheet material having a rear body wall with a portion folded outwardly and against-the wall to double thethickness thereof, the free edge of the folded ,portion being curled outwardly, upwardlly and inwardly into an open curl witha narrow gap between its edge and the fold of the body wall, and a cover having depending walls, the lower portion of the rear cover wall being bent upwardly and outwardly at an acute angle to the depending cover wall to provide a flat flange extending outwardly a greater distance than said gap in the body curl, but insertable therethrough, the edge of said curl being received in the space between the flange and body wall where the cover is opened to a plane at right angles to the top of the box.

JOHN COYLE.

WILLIAM F. .PUNTE,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES Great Britain Oct. 1, 1931 

